I’ve always wondered about Russian food so I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to try it out for cheap when the Coachmen came up on one of those group deal sites.
It is a rather interesting place - the decor is dark and cozy but it feels like we’ve taken a step back in time; it feels far from the luxury and splendour of imperial Russia that it was supposed to embody and it also feels that nothing has changed since it first opened as a restaurant in 1995. Kind of like visiting an old family home that is still a bit dusty in some corners the cleaners forgot, and shelves overladen with an assortment of everything because grandmother couldn’t bear to throw anything out. There is a sort of quirky charm to all that, but I couldn’t help but feel the place would make a perfect candidate for one of Gordon Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares episodes.. which is a shame because I quite like it the way it was though it seems they could use a few more customers..
And the food? I enjoyed the food, even though it feels like the chefs haven’t updated the menu much since they opened either. But classic Russian was what I was after and classic Russian was what we got:
Coachmen pancakes - savoury pancakes with chicken and mushroom sauce - these were my favourite. They were delicious! Funnily enough not too long before this meal, I had a similar dish at a French restaurant, crepes with chicken and mushroom. These were better.
A classic Russian borsch - vegetables in a meat broth served with shallots and sour cream
Baked Atlantic salmon with mashed potatoes, vegetables and a creamy vinaigrette.
Monastic prawns - prawns sautéed in garlic with vegetables, creamy risotto and baked in a ceramic pot. I had to order these because I had no idea what ‘Monastic’ prawns were going to be. Plus, prawns and garlic usually win. It was delicous, but quite a heavy main and probably better in cooler months and not in the middle of Summer :)
All in all it was a good meal.. though some credit would have to go to the company as well.. :) I would love to head back there again on a Saturday night when they have live shows on!
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